OCI Card

1. The Consulate General of India, New York is pleased to announce that the OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) program has been launched, as of January, 2006. Applications for OCI are now accepted from residents of the following States and Territories: New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont and the Virgin Islands. (Applications will be accepted only through express mail. For procedural details and clarifications, please go to Steps to Apply for OCI.

2. A foreign national, eligible to become a citizen of India on January 26, 1950 or was a citizen of India on, or at anytime after, January 26, 1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947 and his/her children and grand children, provided his/her country of citizenship allows dual citizenship under the local laws, is eligible for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). Minor children of such person are also eligible for OCI. However, if the applicant had ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she will not be eligible for OCI.

3. With OCI Status, a foreign passport holder is entitled to the following:

  1. Multiple-entry, multi-purpose, life-long visa to visit India. The holder of the OCI Certificate would still need to carry his/her foreign passport, but a Visa "U" ("U" for Universal) sticker would be affixed on the foreign passport;
  2. Exemption from reporting to police authorities for any length of stay in India;
  3. Parity with NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) in financial, economic and educational fields EXCEPT in relation to acquisition of agricultural and plantation properties.
4. Please note that OCI is NOT Dual Citizenship. The Constitution of India does not permit the facility of holding Indian Citizenship simultaneously with a foreign citizenship. The OCI holder would therefore not be eligible for the following rights in India: 
  1. Right to vote;
  2. Right to hold constitutional office (i.e. parliament, courts, cabinet posts, etc.); and
  3. Right to hold posts in the government services sector. 
5. The OCI Status is a privilege extended only to those persons who qualify for that privilege. The OCI Status accorded to a person can be revoked by Government of India in cases that warrant such action. For detailed information on the "Overseas Citizen of India", visit the web site of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

6. The applicant must necessarily satisfy the following criteria in order to be eligible to apply for OCI Status:
  1. If the applicant or one of the applicant's parents or one of the applicant's grandparents was a citizen of India after January 26, 1950.
  2. If the applicant or one of the applicant's parents or one of the applicant's grandparents belonged to a former territory (Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Sikkim and Pondicherry) that became part of India after August 15, 1947.
  3. If the applicant or one of the applicant's parents or one of the applicant's grandparents was eligible to become a citizen of India at the time of commencement of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950.
7. Additional Notes:
  • A PIO card holder can substitute his PIO Card with the OCI. The holder would be required to surrender the PIO Card in that event. All PIO Card holders seeking to substitute PIO cards with the OCI facility must submit a copy of the PIO Card during submission of the application for OCI.
  • When applying as a family of four (4) members, applicants may apply jointly in a single application as spouses and no more than two (2) of applicant's minor children. The necessary fee would be charged for each applicant.
  • OCI Applications can be made on behalf of a minor child by a guardian/parent. 
8. Processing of applicant's OCI application is initially a joint effort between the applicant and the OCI Cell at the Consulate General of India. Therefore, the applicant needs to clearly understand the process of filing the application, keep any original documentation complete in all respects and follow the various steps involved carefully. This would facilitate smooth and quick processing of the OCI application.

9. Visit http://mha.nic.in and click Online Registration. If applying as an individual or as a family, select the appropriate option. A reference number will be assigned by the computer upon completing the online registration. Applicant must present this number when arriving at the Consulate. Family of 4 (spouses and two minor children) are to fill in Part A in one go. If a family consists of more than 2 minor children, the application for the third minor child must be filled-in as an individual by selecting option (i). In cases where child/children is/are not minor, independent applications for each child need to be filled-in.

10. The OCI application consists of Part A and Part B. Part A should be completed online through Online Registration at www.mha.nic.in (Ministry of Home Affairs' site). Part B should be completed by typing the required information or writing in capital block letters with black or blue ink. The computer will assign a Reference Number. Retain this reference number as it would be required when submitting the OCI application at the Consulate.

11. The applicant is required to submit the OCI application (Part A and Part B) in duplicate form. Part B is automatically printed out when Part A is saved and the print command is selected at the pop-up window. For each of the two applications, an original 35mm X 35mm size color photo (light color background, not white background), without border with front view of person's head and shoulders showing the full face in the middle of the photograph is required. At the end of Part B, there is a list of documents that are required at the time of submission of application. The fee for the application is US$ 275 (US$ 25 for PIO Card holders). The payment should be in the form of certified checks or money orders in favor of "Consulate General of India, New York" (no personal checks).

12. Additional information about photographs: 
  1. Background color and dress color should not be the same (it should be different color)
  2. If applicant is wearing glasses, please make sure that there is no glare on the glasses or take the picture without glasses
  3. Photograph should be front view with shoulders visible
  4. Photographs should be bright (please note the color of skin and brightness of the photo are different)
  5. Photograph should not be stapled and should not have any signatures (no signature on photo). 
    http://ociindia.nic.in/ociindia/ICAO-Photo.pdf
13. For detailed application procedures, see Steps to Apply for OCI.

14. The application review process may take from one to ftwo months depending on the documents and proofs you provide in support of your application.

For any further information or clarification on OCI, visit the Ministry of Home Affairs' website and theFrequently Asked Questions at the OCI Section of this website. Inquiries about the OCI can also be addressed to:

The OCI Cell
Consulate General of India
3 E. 64th St., 
New York, NY 10065
Phone: (212) 774-0605
Fax: (212) 570-9581
E-mail: visa@indiacgny.org 
(Please mention your phone number in the email for us to contact you)

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